


Request and Prompt Responses

by LibraLibrary



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, and might contradict every now and then, deadbeats are adorable, headcanons, not entirely chronological, ot3 shenanigans, probably gonna be super canon divergent as we get more videos, tumblr prompts and requests
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-12 20:47:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 8,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7122010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LibraLibrary/pseuds/LibraLibrary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Responses to prompts and requests on tumblr, also accepting suggestions in comments. Mostly OT3-centric, some plot heavy, some just mindless fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Christmas Lights

**Author's Note:**

> **bugsofjade asked:  
> **  
>  lewvithur prompt: tfw ur stringing up led lights in the middle of december and then suddenly lots of tangling
> 
>  
> 
> _Jay it is motherufcking June why do you do this to me_
> 
>  
> 
> Additional notes below

“Alright, how are we doing in here-oh for GOD’S SAKE _LEWIS-!”_

The dark-eyed boy glanced up from his threading of popcorn garlands, stealthily passing another handful of kernels to the dog hiding under the coffee table. “What’s wrong, Vi-ohgoodlord.”

The smirking bluenette gestured with both arms at the poor bundle of mechanical limb and Christmas light inching along the foyer floor, trying to escape the giggling swarm of mirthful deadbeats continuing to loop the glowing bulbs around his hindered legs. Lewis bit his illusory lip, trying to stifle a laugh, and the beleaguered blonde on the floor shot him a glare that was equal parts accusing and pleading. The master of the manor stood, leaving the popcorn bowl unattended (and vulnerable to Wheeled Hamster Assault) and kneeling to wave off his little minions. “Alright you guys, we have the tree covered, go be useless somewhere else.”

The little purple specters all squeaked playfully, one stopping to plant a little peck on a very unamused Arthur’s forehead, and the human girl and ghost boy quickly freed him from his festive bonds. The mechanic smacked his mouth, grimacing at the ghost of a plastic aftertaste, and then side-eyed Lewis. “Why exactly did you think they were capable of a serious task in the first place?”

The taller man shrugged, looking for all the world like a proud member of the living (save for his blackened sclera and slight glow). “Vivi wants us to go top down with the light stringing, we needed someone who could reach the top.”

Arthur rolled his eyes, rising to his feet and gathering up the end of the strand. “Go get a ladder; if nobody else is gonna do this right, then-”

“No need, hold on.”

Before Arthur had time to protest, or even process what was happening, he had a strong pair of arms around his scrawny midsection, and the tile beneath him gave way to the open air. He yelped, nearly dropping the cord, and the wide chest against his back rumbled with laughter. “Will this do?”

Arthur tried not to look down directly, only barely catching Vivi stifling a giggle down below in his peripheral, and took a deep breath, trying to ignore how comfortable the warm hold was, and how red his cheeks were growing. “Yeah. I can work with this.”


	2. Food Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:  
> **  
>  maybe lewvithur food fight?
> 
>  
> 
> _Oh boy this got cute_
> 
>  
> 
> Additional notes below

Lewis shouted with all the air he had in his little lungs, chucking the remnants of a squishy peeled orange as hard as he could before ducking back behind the upturned cafeteria table and laughing. Next to him, Vivi smiled, carefully wiping a little smear of chocolate pudding with the end of her shirt. “Did you get ‘em?”

Across the lunch room, nearly drowned out by the cacophony of kids shrieking and various foodstuffs impacting hard surfaces and soft faces, someone screeched as burning citrus juice dripped into his eye. The trio shared a collective smirk, and Lewis readily accepted the incoming high fives. “That sounded like Joe Garrett. Like to see him take anyone’s lunch money this week. What do we have left, Arthur?”

The scrawny blonde hurriedly shuffled through a stuffed lunch box, taking stock of their supplies and handing over a particularly juicy tomato with a grin.

~

Arthur glared at the map on his laptop screen like he thought he could intimidate it into finally giving up an answer nobody had. All across the image, little doodled faces with their puffy pink pompadours stared back from behind red xs, each one asking a question that burned into Arthur’s empty and ignored stomach.

_Where am I, Arthur? Why can’t you find me? What did you do?_

He shut the laptop a bit harder than he intended, shakily taking a deep breath and running his cold metal fingers through his hair. He was exhausted, and for reasons he didn’t quite understand, he could feel a surge of guilt and despair gnawing at his stomach-

_Splap._

He flailed for a moment, scraping the warm eggy mixture off his cheek and raising an eyebrow at the girl in the doorway. Vivi rolled her eyes, with a smile that was maybe 30/70 between annoyance and goodnatured care. “I’ve been calling you for breakfast the last ten minutes. You aren’t skipping it today, and that’s final.”

Alright, so guilt, despair, AND hunger. At least he could solve one of those problems, popping a finger in his mouth and savoring the explosion of cheesy bacony flavor as he got up to follow his amused roommate.

~

“Oh god _damn_ she’s good! Look at the front of our fort,” Arthur moaned, cautiously peeking around the obscured side to observe the damage, “there’s hardly anything on it! How is she so good??”

Lewis carefully packed as much peanut butter and jam in between two thick slices of bread as possible, pinching the edges with boney fingers to seal his classic PBJ grenade. He quickly checked it over, satisfied, before sliding back to the barricade, ready to rain nutty fruity hellfire down on the girl and dog across the room. “Probably helps that she won over the deadbeats. Little traitors.”

“Yeah, and who’s fault is that,” Arthur snapped, retrieving the box of “ammo” and looking it over as Lewis rose up to take aim. “Maybe the numbers are uneven, but we’d probably be screwed with Mystery, the deadbeats, and an entire small country on our side; Vivi’s just too accura-”

His sentence cut off with a shocked noise of discomfort as the PBJ grenade landed on top of his head, bursting and covering his face in sweet sticky friendly fire. He could only barely catch Lewis recoiling and blubbering in surprise as he fell back, and somewhere across the room the other team was whooping like they’d just assassinated the enemy leader.

“ _Tell me about it_ ,” Lewis groaned, and Arthur hurriedly wiped the sticky mess from around his eyes to see what he meant. A foot away, the ashamed skeleton gazed back, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy as one end of a ketchup-slathered sausage poked out of his empty eye socket.

Arthur paused, then lost his shit, as Lewis buried his face in his hands, trying to contain his own hysterical laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for revisiting scenarios at different periods along a timeline, bc these idiots are still goddamn children,
> 
> Also thank you to everyone making requests, I will try to attend to them ASAP, possibly after work tonight and tomorrow. :)


	3. Puppy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:  
> **  
>  I have no idea what mystery skulls is but i can drabble prompt 'finding a stray puppy on a rainy day.'
> 
>  
> 
> _Oh boy frand ur missing out on some of the best music video plot ever links for the curious_  
>  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlEb3L1PIco  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUYM5WNdNGc
> 
>  
> 
> _This is super short bc I can’t really think about anything else to fit the prompt but mAYBE WHEN THEY FIRST FOUND MYSTERY LMAO (or when Mystery found them more like lmao)_
> 
>  
> 
> Also y'all are being absolute peaches requesting and commenting so as a present I'm posting this AND the last of the tumblr responses in a little bit and then I'll work on some of the requests. Y'all are getting at least two updates today. Maybe three if I can get it together. Shine on you adorable cupcakes you.

Vivi’s short blue hair was plastered to the sides of her face, and the boys had rushed to throw a tarp over her and pull her into the van out of the rain before they had time to notice the shivering bundle in her arms. She was absolutely beaming, even as Arthur gently rubbed her hair with a spare towel and Lewis pulled her into his lap to warm up. She nodded down at the little mass of fur and awkward puppy limbs, grinning. “He followed me back! Look at how cute he is!”

The little pup glanced from Arthur to Lewis, tilting his head adorably and lightly chuffing in the warmer air of the van. One look was all Lewis needed to absolutely melt, raising one big hand to ruffle the puppy’s wet fur. “Aww, what a sweetheart. You want to join the team, little guy? Help us solve mysteries?”

The little dog let out a tiny, playful howl, and Vivi held him closer, smiling. “Mystery, then. He’s our little Mystery.”

Arthur gently scratched under little Mystery’s chin, grinning as the pup leaned into the affection and wagged his tail harder. The blonde paused, looked a bit closer at the confused puppy, then looked up at Vivi. “Uh, Vi…your new dog is wearing glasses.”


	4. Scene Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **bugsofjade asked:  
>  lewvithur prompt: so listen close to the sound of your sooooul, take back a life we led once befooore, iF IT AIN'T YOU THAN WHOO? IF IT AIN'T YOU THEN WHO'S GONNA LOVE YOUUU? [soothing Sleeping With Sirens acoustics strumming in the distance]**
> 
> _Ok im either gonna regret introducing you to those songs or love it but cOMMENCE THE LONG POST_

This could’ve been his big moment. Arthur was helpless, battered and weakened and hardly able to run anymore. Vivi and Mystery were trapped on the ground floor, desperately trying to move the barricade in front of the stairs and save their mechanic from the paranormal assault taking place on the catwalks above. Arthur was as good as dead.

But it wasn’t Lewis’s doing, and now that he had learned what really happened that night, could clearly see the sparks dripping off Arthur’s left arm (he hadn’t noticed it in the manor, oh god how did he not notice), he would do anything to stop it.

_Murderer. Weakling. All your fault. You did this. You could’ve made it right. You could’ve made it right a long time ago. Weak._

“That’s not true!”

Lewis’s voice was booming, echoing throughout the vast warehouse and shaking the few remaining windows. A flash of lightning illuminated the room, trailed by earthrattling thunder as the darkness reclaimed the location. Shadows curled around every surface, chased off only by the bright pink of the enraged ghost above, and the sickly green of a weak and spiteful spirit making one last attempt on a tortured young man.

_Murderer. You think he’ll ever forgive you? He hates you-_

“Arthur, don’t listen to it!”

_He wants you dead. That’s the nicest thing you could do for him, for any of them. Just drop dead right now, and save him the trouble._

Arthur had his arms wrapped around his bruised midsection, shaking his head and staring wide-eyed and wary through tears at the concerned ghost before him. He took another shaky step back, the tattered shreds of his ruined vest brushing against the warped, frail railing behind him. Only a thin, rusting metal tube between him and a straight drop. Several stories. Cold, spiteful concrete below. “Please don’t…”

His voice was thin and shaky, and Lewis could feel another crack worming its way into the surface of his anchor. He’d known Arthur since they were kids, seen him through every low point for over a decade…and he’d never heard him so broken.

That was the word. Broken. When he allowed himself to believe his best friend in the world had it in him to kill him in cold blood, he broke him.

“Arthur, I’m so sorry-”

_He’ll kill you. If you won’t make it right, he will._

One last parting shot by a dying ghoul, one last shot at a crack in the wall. Arthur took another frightened step back.

_CreeEEeeeEEa-!_

The railing at his back snapped, and as the green glow around his head finally died out, his feet left the catwalk. His eyes widened, one last splash of tears flying in an arc after him, and he only had time to quietly gasp in shock. His blurry vision caught a last glimpse of Lewis, horrified and reaching out, before he was under the platform, ground rising to meet-

Vivi screamed, and burning bone wrapped around soft fabric and cold steel. Arthur jerked painfully, wincing and crying out as his left shoulder nearly popped out of it’s socket from the force. Biting his lip so hard it bled, he struggled to crane his neck and look up at his rescuer. In the blink of an eye, bone gave way to warm, conjured flesh, and orange eyes met a pair of violet rings, wide and terrified, buried deep in a sea of black.

“I’ve got you, Arthur,” he breathed shakily, “I’m not gonna let go.”

The blonde maintained half-lidded eye contact as the ghost, wearing an old, almost forgotten form, pulled on the cool metal limb, dragging his friend back up to safety. He weakly raised his one flesh arm, weakly gripping the edge of the platform as Lewis tried to hoist him back up. “L…ewis…”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got-”

“S-sor-ry…”

Violet met flooded orange again, and Lewis could feel an icy finger of dread glide up his ghostly spine.

“I am….I _am weak…”_

Arthur’s eyes rolled back into his head as he lost consciousness, his fingers losing their grip on the edge of the catwalk. Lewis panicked, both hands tightly grasping the metal wrist of his prosthetic…

…and with a hideous screech, the damaged limb disconnected from Arthur’s shoulder, sending him into freefall yet again.

Lewis kneeled on the end of the catwalk, eyes locked on the still sparking limb in his hands. He lifted it too easily, the frantic thumping of his anchor slowing to a crawl as he watched sparks shoot out from the destroyed wires at the end. The end that should’ve been connected to his best friend. His best friend, who had just…

Oh _god._

Fat gobs of glittering tears rolled down a simulated face, and the huge figure heaved as the weight of what had just happened settled into his chest. He edged closer to where the metal under him met open air, urging himself to look. Even if he was terrified of what he’d see, even if he knew it would destroy him…he owed him. He owed Arthur…

In the darkness of the warehouse, he first read the red and dark mass, moving under the head of his friend’s still form, as something else entirely; if he’d still had a stomach, he was certain he would’ve been physically ill. He reflexively slapped one huge hand over his mouth, unable to restrain a despaired sob.

Then, a twitch, and a figure moved _under_ Arthur. Lewis froze, and a streak of lightning outside lit up the floor momentarily. Just long enough to illuminate the large, furry form, slinking out dazed from under the intact human on his back. With a relieved sigh, the giant canine looked over his shoulder, making eye contact with a stunned Lewis, and allowing a weary smile to creep over his snout.

Mystery caught him. He was…

Vivi slid on her knees across the floor, frantically dragging the limp younger man into her lap and throwing the side of her head against his chest. She froze, silent for a moment, before breaking out into a peal of uneven, nervous laughter. She drew away, glancing up at the figure on the catwalk with tears in her eyes.

“He’s alive! Lewis, _he’s alive!”_

Lewis wasn’t aware he had jumped from the upper story until his feet gently met the floor, and he walked over to the relieved duo and their injured (only injured, alive, oh god, still alive) companion almost on autopilot. He sunk to his knees, humanoid guise flickering in and out as he cautiously reached over, wrapping one big hand around the mechanic’s smaller one.

Arthur whimpered, eyelids lightly fluttered, and his fingers twitched in Lewis’s grasp.

The ghost felt relief hit him like a truck, and with a deep sobbing sound of gratitude, threw his arm around the two humans on the floor with him. Vivi’s free arm wrapped around his wide chest as far as it could go, nuzzling the side of her head into his suit and crying. In their laps, Arthur murmured something in his sleep, his feverish cheek pressed against the softly glowing locket that pulsed gently on his dead friend’s chest. Mystery wrapped his long form around the trio, resting his tired head on his forepaws as he watched the three kids hold each other.

It was over. It was all, finally, over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha woo time to work on some requests


	5. Can't Promise That Things Won't Be Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **SonicLozDPLove on Chapter 1 Tue 07 Jun 2016 11:35AM EDT  
>  Lewthur prompt where Lewis is trying to get reconnect with Arthur but our poor cyborg mechanic is still completely terrified of Lewis whenever he comes within five feet**
> 
> Friend you have no goddamn idea what you've unleashed and also I love you in the best way. 
> 
> Continues from the last chapter kinda.

Lewis knew their troubles were far from over just about the moment Arthur woke up. 

The first thing the frail mechanic saw was Vivi on his right, clinging to his bandaged arm and hurriedly wiping away tears with a smile. He managed to weakly flash one in return, eyes scanning left to take in his surroundings. Mystery peered up at him from the foot of the hospital bed, flicking his little tail slowly and continuously glancing over his shoulder, ready to hide at the first sign of approaching staff. There was a vague flash of recognition in the boy’s eyes, and he nodded gratefully at the nervous not-dog (he remained alert, though a great deal of tension visibly bled from his disguised form). But when he continued to turn his head, and caught the barest glance of pink hair and violet eyes-

It was like a gun went off. He flung himself from his bed so quickly, he damn near brought Vivi down with him. They placated the doctors with claims of a bad dream and a waking moment of panic, and Arthur obediently settled back into bed, only half-listening to a rambling laundry list of minor injuries and precautions to take when they finished up their final tests and sent him home. Vivi paid attention for him, listening and responding to the advice while gently squeezing his hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her injured friend staring above the doctor’s head, knowing for a fact he was just staring off into space.

From a hidden corner above the doorframe, braced against the wall and holding a visibly upset Mystery, the skeleton ghost maintained eye contact with the patient, trying his damndest to apologize without a word.

~

It didn’t get any better when they returned to the mansion, excitable little deadbeats playfully chirping mass greetings at Vivi and curiously flitting over the wiggling hamster in her hands. Most of the cheerful purple spirits rushed their master, nuzzling at his skeletal face and clinging to his arms, but he paid them no attention, glancing down to watch Arthur stride past, side-eyeing his old friend warily as he made his way to the stairs. Vivi let Galahad down, watching him chase after his owner with a little help up the stairs from Mystery, before rising and taking one bony hand in her’s. She gave Lewis a comforting squeeze and half a weary smile, patting his lapel. “Give him some time. We’ll be okay.”

Lewis forced himself back into a more humanoid guise, making sure she could see him smile in return. He just hoped she couldn’t see how strained it was.

The next few days dragged on, and no matter how many times it happened, Lewis still felt his non-existent stomach drop every time Arthur shied away from his predicted touch, or withered under his entirely innocent gaze. Vivi tried to stay positive and tend to them both, bless her heart she tried, helping Arthur with whatever tasks he needed two arms for before returning to Lewis’s side and reminiscing old cases while burrowing under his arm. Every now and then, from a doorway or in a distant corner, Lewis could even catch Arthur smiling, or tossing a playful barb at the friendly bluenette. But every time, before long, he’d take notice of their host, and quickly retreat back into himself like a snail in the hand.

The first time the boys had to be left alone, they had to all but push her out of the door. She insisted that Duet and Chloe could handle whatever emergency they were calling over themselves, but the boys were firm in their decision: they weren’t going to let…”whatever” was going on between them put a strain on her job. She finally relented, standing up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against Lewis’s hard cheekbone, before taking Arthur’s face in her hands and carefully planting a little kiss on his forehead.

“I’ll be back later tonight. Promise.”

The door front door hadn’t even fully shut before Arthur was halfway up the stairs. Lewis watched him go, continuing to stare after he’d disappeared around the corner, and sighed, heading for library to take his mind off of things.

Lewis hadn’t realized how late it was until the soft footsteps approaching from the hall dragged him out of his book, and he glanced up at the nearest grandfather clock. Almost midnight; whatever was going down at the Tome Tomb had to be serious if she was back this late. He shifted back into his humanoid form, leaning against the back of the couch as he turned to look at the figure in the doorway. “Hey-”

He dropped the book, completely surprised to see Arthur slouching in the doorway, idly kicking at the edge of the carpet with bare feet. His shirt hung limp from his right shoulder, unbuttoned and removed from his left arm. The blonde tried to look everywhere but his host, finally daring to glance up a bit. “I...I need some help...getting _it_ off…” He nodded towards his prosthetic, nervously tapping the metal digits on the doorframe, “the deadbeats are too quick about it, and...well…”

He managed half a weak laugh, shrugging. “I don’t think Mystery’s the best guy for the job.”

It took a second for the flimsy but honest joke to set in, and Lewis smiled, patting the cushion next to him lightly.

The prosthetic came off with little trouble, and Arthur hissed, somehow tensing up even more than he already was under Lewis’s touch. The ghost’s apologies caught in his throat, and he sat the metal limb down, marveling at the docking implant embedded in what remained of his friend’s upper arm. “You built this yourself?”

Arthur flinched a little at his voice, but slowly straightened up, smirking down at his handiwork. “Yeah. I mean, the doctors implanted it, after a LOT of begging, but-”

“It’s incredible. I never even noticed it was…”  
The conversation died as quickly as it started, and Lewis turned back around, both boys facing straight ahead. The wood in the fireplace popped and cracked softly, the dying storm gently tossed droplets at the windowpanes, and elsewhere in the manor, deadbeats chased after the furrier inhabitants, chirping playful tunes. But even with the quiet soundtrack of life in the ghostly house playing out around them, the room might as well have been silent for the two young men.

“I’m sorry.”

Arthur cocked an eyebrow, turning his head slightly to glance at Lewis. “For?”

The breath the spirit took was purely an attempt to steel his nerves, with no lungs accepting the gift of warm, pine scented air. “Everything.”

A beat. “I killed yo-”

“No. No, you did not, and my believing that is why I’m apologizing. I mean,” he threw up his arms in exasperation, mildly surprised when Arthur only flinched slightly instead of tumbling off the couch, “I thought _you,_ of all people, my best friend in the _world,_ would actually, in a sound state of mind, kill me! Are you kidding? I’d expect _Vivi_ to snap before you!”

Arthur looked away, his right hand slowly clenching inside his sling. “I…”

“And,” Lewis continued, desperation starting to edge into his voice, _”I’m_ the one who insisted we visit that goddamn cave in the first place, remember?”

The room was too quiet, the flames dying down as Lewis stared at the smaller man’s back, waiting for some sort of response. He expected screaming, or tears, or even blows. Hell, Arthur could’ve stood up and silently left the room, and never spoken to him again, and he wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised.

“I didn’t remember.”

The cold, bitter voice shook Lewis to the core, and he drew back. 

“Nobody did. You were dead,” Arthur choked on the word, slowly turning to look back, “and nobody even shed a damn tear.”

But his eyes were full of them, and it was an even bigger shock when he allowed himself to slowly fall over, leaning his head on Lewis’s shoulder. The ghost almost instinctively curled his arm around the frail mechanic, before it sunk in, and he tightly pulled the sobbing blonde into a fierce embrace. He rested his chin on the top of his spiky locks, gently rocking back and forth and rubbing comforting circles into his bare back.

They weren’t okay. Nowhere close to okay. But it was a start.

~

“Everything alright?”

Lewis jolted a little, cautiously glancing down at the young man sleeping in his lap, before turning to match gazes with an apologetic Vivi. He hadn’t even heard her come in; hell, he had completely lost track of time again…

“Yeah. Yeah, I think we’re alright.”

Vivi sighed, wrapping her arms around Lewis’s broad shoulders and leaning her temple against his. “Things aren’t going to go back to normal overnight.”

“Yeah. I never thought they would.”

It wasn’t a lie, but it burnt like one on the way out all the same. Still, when he ran a few bony fingers through Arthur’s hair, and the exhausted boy sighed contentedly and leaned _into_ the touch, it was hard to deny the little pulse of hope in the back of his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha wow that hurt to write but I kinda feel better for it. Now oNTO SOME FLUFFIER PROMPTS and also keep sending in requests y'all.


	6. Warmth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anon on Chapter 1 Tue 07 Jun 2016 11:37AM EDT  
> **  
>  I wanna see a sleepy pile prompt all around Lewis because he's made of fire so he must be warm and cuddly
> 
>  
> 
> How did u know im all about cuddle puddles im calling the goddamn cops

A little pair of hands wormed their way under Lewis’s lapel, and the skeleton jolted a bit. “Good God, Vi, did you kill a snowman with your bare hands before bed?”

Vivi smirked, burrowing her face into the warm expanse of her boyfriend’s well-dressed back. “Shut up, not my fault you’re the warmest thing in this room.”

The ghost huffed defensively. “I could have the deadbeats light the fire, you know.”

The bundle of sheets and nerves against Lewis’s chest snickered, nuzzling closer into the warm embrace. “”Let’s just start a fire while we’re trying to sleep,” suggests the dead guy.”

Lewis rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around Arthur just a touch tighter and leaning back into Vivi’s snuggles. “You know I wouldn’t let anything happen to the two of you.”

“We know.”

The trio huddled together as close as possible, basking in the warmth of each others’ presence and letting the dull pattering of rain on the windows lull them into a comfortable sleep…

**CRASH.**

The three flinched, but only Lewis opened his eyes, glancing at the door to the master bedroom in confusion. Downstairs, something else slammed into a wall, and the ensuing furious barking made the skeleton roll his eyes. Vivi’s hands dug tighter into his bony chest, and she didn’t even turn her head to speak. “If you leave this bed I swear to God I’m exorcising you.”

Arthur murmured an agreement, already half asleep, and Lewis settled back in with a chuckle. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”


	7. Adventures in Deadbeatsitting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Pipaqueak on Chapter 1 Tue 07 Jun 2016 11:38AM EDT  
>  Deadbeat antics with an adorably bemused Mystery babysitting then**
> 
> I had such a hard time figuring out where to go with this hopefully it's good enough
> 
> Mystery's job is to watch the babies while the kids sleep pray 4 this doggie

“Don’t you even think about it.”

The deadbeats on the counter trilled in surprise, peeking over the edge of the countertop to find the source of the warning. Down on the floor, Mystery gave the group of spirits a testing glare, slowly shaking his head. The little purple specters withered, caught with their ghostly hands in the literal cookie jar. Each babbled some manner of excuse or explanation, gesturing from the pastries, to the milk jug on the counter, to the cabinets full of fine china. Mystery draped one paw across his snout, sighing deeply. Of course the little ones meant well, and it was a truly admirable effort, but they didn’t exactly have the best track record when it came to handling dishes…

“I’m sure they would appreciate milk and cookies, I don’t doubt it, but perhaps they should just be left alone.”

The deadbeats whined in a chiming tune, slipping off the counter to settle on the floor and nuzzle at the not-dog pitifully. Mystery sighed, returning the affectionate gestures and gently reassuring the little ghosts. Misguided as they may have been, the minion spirits were absolute sweethearts…

_Creeeeeeeaaakkkkk…_

Mystery stiffened, and the deadbeats flitted away in a chattering panic. Absolute sweethearts who played him like a god damned fiddle-

A stack of plates cascaded from the cabinet, knocking over the opened jug of milk, and all hell broke loose.

~

**CRASH.**

_THUD._

“...If you leave this bed I swear to God I’m exorcising you.”

“Mmfh.”

“Heh. Wouldn’t dream of it.”

~

Mystery flicked his seven tails in annoyance, glaring up at the shaken hamster clinging to the cabinet door.

“We’re supposed to be together in this, you little bastard.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The deadbeats promised Galaham cookies. He sold out Mystery for cookies. Little shit.


	8. Backfire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:**  
>  *whispers* Lewvithur prompt where'd a spell gone wrong turns Vivi into a creature (werewolf, harpy, etc.) and she hides from the boys while looking for a cure because she's afraid Arthur will be scared of her?
> 
>  
> 
> _OK REAL TALK I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH THIS AND THEN THE INSPIRATION STRUCK AT WORK AND IT ENDED UP CUTE AS HELL SO THANK U FOR THIS GREAT PROMPT AND I HOPE I’VE DONE IT JUSTICE_
> 
>  
> 
> _Also my god I needed a Vivi prompt thank u_

Vivi sucked in a deep breath, allowing herself a few moments of panic under the covers to keep from completely losing it. _Okay, positives,_ she thought to herself, _look for the positives in all this._

Well, for one, the boys had been out that morning when the spell had backfired. That was a really good thing. She loved the two of them to death, really, she did, and she knew they’d be ready to break down the door before the magical shockwave had even cleared the air. Still, though she would welcome their loving concern any other day, she really didn’t want them to see her like this. _Especially_ not Arthur. Not like this…that’s why she had snapped at them from behind the door when they returned home. Until she could fix this, she couldn’t show herself.

_Alright, getting depressing, find another positive._

She was… _positive,_ that she was going to chew Mystery out for messing with her spell books again. That was the only explanation for why her attempt at a routine shapeshifter spell had backfired so hard. Magic was a finicky little concept; all it took was one stray not-dog hair to turn an easily-reversible disguise into-

_Positives, for god’s sake!_

A reluctant knock against her door echoed across the room, and she nosed her way out of the covers with a panicked look. She shot a glare towards the paused deadbeats, who quickly returned to their frantic browsing, and plodded quietly to the door. “Really, guys, I’m fine, I just need-”

“It’s just me, Vi. Arthur’s in his room. Can I come in?”

Vivi sighed, thought she couldn’t tell if it was from relief or resignation. “Lewis. How-?”

“When he spoke up, you sounded like you were gonna rip his head off. I figured whatever you have going on in there, he shouldn’t see it.”

God, he was smart. She hated and loved that in equal measure. “Just…try not to laugh?”

Lewis phased his head through the door, confusion strangely apparent on his fleshless face as he glanced from side to side. “Vivi?”

“Down here.”

He slowly glanced down at the floor, visibly jolting when he locked eyes with the slender grey and blue beast. Vivi reached a paw up to push her glasses up a bit higher on her snout, and her ears drooped pitifully.

“…Oh. _Ohhhhhhhhh._ So _that’s_ why you don’t want Arthur-”

“Uh-huh.”

Lewis fully passed through the door, taking a knee to better maintain eye contact with his miserable girlfriend. “Well…at least this is reversible, I assume?”

“That’s what they’re doing up there,” Vivi murmured, flicking her tail (Only one, Lewis wondered, why is that?) in the direction of the deadbeats raiding the counter, “trying to figure out a good reversal spell.”

“You know Mystery would probably be a better help.”

She growled a little in the back of her throat. “I’m kinda mad at him, he’s the reason I’m in this mess to begin with.”

Lewis chuckled, fiery hair bobbing gently. “I think he’d still be willing. He’s not exactly the type to get broken up over disappointing someone.”

After a moment, all mirth slipped from his skull, and he looked away, toying nervously at Vivi’s scarf. “Arthur, on the other hand…”

Vivi glanced up so quickly her nose almost brushed against Lewis’s upper jaw, and her eyes widened. “What?”

“I mean, when you were yelling at us to leave, when you shouted at him specifically, he kinda assumed you were-”

Vivi was on her paws in a second, turning her head to literally bark orders at the deadbeats. “Alright you guys, drop the books! You two, go get Mystery, and you-!”

The smallest deadbeat trilled in surprise as it’s companions darted off, and Vivi’s eyes narrowed.

_“Go get Arthur.”_

~

“Really, you don’t even look that much like Mystery, especially with only one tail; why is that, by the way?”

The little canine flipped another page, scanning the contents while ignoring the irritated glare of the other kitsune in the room. “Our tails signify our age and wisdom. Vivi’s too young to have multiple, even translating human milestones.”

The unfortunate girl prepared to shoot back with a quip about just how tiny his disguised tail was, when a cute little chirp at the door caught everyone’s attention. The trio looked up, and the tiny deadbeat peeking through the wood trilled, announcing Arthur’s arrival before his quiet, muffled voice arose from the other side.

“Vivi? You…asked for me?”

Vivi whimpered a little, glancing up at the ghost at her side for support. He looked back down at her, a gentle smile growing across his conjured face, before nodding slightly. She took a deep breath, turning back to the door. “Arthur, you can come in, but…I need to warn you…”

A pause. Then, urgency in his voice, “Vivi, what’s wrong? _Really_ wrong?”

She dropped to her belly, trying to flatten herself against the ground in an attempt to look as nonthreatening as possible. “Please…don’t be afraid of me.”

The door swung open, one metal hand gripping the doorframe in anticipation, and the blonde met Lewis’s gaze initially. One eyebrow quirked up, and the ghost shrugged, turning his head slightly to look down. Arthur followed the path of his boyfriend’s eyes, and when he saw the upset kitsune on the ground he went rigid.

Vivi looked up at him, her puppy dog eyes more appropriate than ever. “Hi Artie,” she whispered softly.

She wasn’t surprised, just dismayed, when he started shaking. Nor was she surprised when his right arm slowly rose from his side to cover his mouth, eyes starting to shine with wet impending tears. Lewis sighed. “Arthur-”

They were both VERY surprised when the corners of Arthur’s mouth tugged upwards behind his hand, and a muffled high pitch sound tore out of his throat.

_“Viviiiiiii, oh my god, you look so cuuuuuuuuuute!”_

Another pause.

“Are you _GOD DAMN KIDDING ME???”_

Arthur dropped to his knees, heaving and fawning over his transformed girlfriend, and Lewis fell over onto his side, laughing hysterical as fiery tears pulled at the corner of his dark eyes. Vivi groaned in frustration; I mean, sure, it was better than the mechanic cowering in instinctual terror, but only barely!

“Oh my god Vivi _you have such tiny paws!”_

“SHUT _UP,_ ARTHUR!”

 _“TINY PAWS!_ HE’S RIGHT, I DIDN’T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT _TINY PAWS-!”_

“LEWIS _PLEASE-”_

“VIVI HAVE YOU SEEN YOURSELF YOU’RE THE CUTEST THING SINCE GALAHAD PUT ON THAT LITTLE SANTA HAT OH MY _GOD-”_

_**“YOU TWO ARE SUCH TRASH I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!”** _

Mystery rolled his eyes, tapping a list of components with his nose as the little deadbeats struggled to pay attention. “Let’s get this done quickly, before she bites both their arms off.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact 1: Lewis isn't kidding kitsune!Vivi doesn't look all that much like Mystery which is good bc fun fact 2: if she DID look more like Mystery and also wasn't doing her damnedest to look nonthreatening Arthur would indeed have lost his shit
> 
> Instead he and Lewis get to fawn over the waifu being too cute until Mystery fixes everything after which "tiny paws" is a curse word in the manor


	9. Contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **vWildmage on Chapter 5 Thu 09 Jun 2016 03:36PM EDT  
> **  
>  Prompt: Lewis and Arthur messing with each other. Arthur leans on Lewis and/or attempts to shove him over and Lewis just turns intangible and makes him fall. Lewis uses his intangibility to his advantage during a pillow fight that turns into an all out cushion brawl.  
> Or  
> Lewis was sad after learning about Arthur's arm and he feels guilty for not noticing it, but Arthur will have none of his moping and he takes every opportunity to make a shitty pun about his situation, and in one or two cases he actually removes the metal limb and waves it in Lewis' direction while exclaiming "I gotta HAND it to ya!" Lewis is partially unnerved but he can't help laughing. Eventually he joins in with the arm puns, which Vivi threatens to ban.  
> Or  
> Deadbeat shenanigans. nuff said
> 
>  
> 
> Oh my god these are adorable and we already got deadbeat silliness a few chapters ago so WOO GOLLY DOUBLE LEWTHUR-FOCUS GOODNESS I feel like I kinda strayed from the prompts a touch I hope it's worth it though

It was incredible, really, how focused Arthur was on his task. The deep bags under his eyes told an all-too-familiar story about sleepless nights and exhaustion, but even as he continually shook his head to ward off the need, he continued tapping away at the keyboard in his lap. He didn’t even pause for a moment when a thick bony finger prodded his cheek lightly.

 

“Gooooo to beeeeeeeed.”

“I’ve got the finish this schematic while it’s still fresh in my head, piss off.”

The large ghost nudged into the mechanic with his shoulder, nuzzling his fiery pompadour into Arthur’s chin and ignoring the groans when the flames tinged his vision pink. “It’s laaaaaate and you need sleeeeeeep come to beeeeeeeed.”

Arthur shoved back, and drew his legs up onto the couch, leaning back against the broad shoulder behind him. “It’ll go by faster if you let me get comfortable and fini-!!!”

Lewis suddenly found himself on his back, laptop folding closed on his stomach as he gazed up at the ceiling through a semi-transparent curtain of shiny black and glittery pink. He sighed. “Well damn, Lew, I’d say you have your head up your ass tonight, but NOPE ALL CLEAR DOWN HERE-”

Arthur rolled himself off the couch as his boyfriend returned to a physical state, smirking and reaching for a discarded throw pillow. Never had a sound been more satisfying than Lewis’s hearty cackle being cut off by a muffled down-feather thud. 

“Oh, is this how we’re going to play this now?”

“Since your little stunt has me more awake than ever? You bet your bony ass.”

The fight lasted twenty-five minutes, destroyed sixty-three pillows, and spawned a hearty debate over whether or not intangibility was cheating, before Vivi snuck up behind the two and bopped them with couch cushions so hard they could taste music.

~*~

One warm, solid finger traced along the line of a particularly nasty scar, the ghost of a victim appreciating and mourning the ghost of a bitter solution. Arthur shivered, but leaned into the touch, sighing deeply as Lewis’s feather-light exploration leapt from the taper edge of one long-healed bite mark to the next, with all the reverence of a worshipper studying a holy artifact.

“I can’t believe I never even noticed…”

Arthur chuckled, toying with the hem of his pajama pants idly. “Well, my shirt isn’t exactly see through. Besides, the connectors tend to cover the more prominent scars-”

“I didn’t even notice the _arm…”_

Arthur paused, tilting his head back to look up at the ghost holding him in his lap, dismayed to see the despair shining in depths of Lewis’s eyes. The mechanic reached up to take the bony hand in his, lacing their fingers together and smiling. “Well then,” he murmured, rubbing one finger in comforting circles against the thick bones, “I’ll have to make sure it’s more noticeable from now on.”

The ghost cocked a brow in confusion, and Arthur hummed to himself, as if he was thinking intently. “Hmmm...maybe I’ll paint some bright yellow flames on it.”

Lewis paused, and then choked back a barely repressed peal of laughter. “Hey now, flames are my thing.”

“What, is there a problem with matching motifs? I thought romantic types like you loved that crap. We can get Vivi some blue flame stockings-”

On the other side of the bed, Vivi buried her head in a pillow and chortled. Lewis sighed, shaking his head, but his eyes betrayed an unseen smile. “Alright Arthur, I gotta hand it to you, you definitely know how to lighten the mood-”

A cold metal digit brushed the edge of his nasal bone, and he flinched, glancing down at Arthur questioningly. The young man grinned, prodding his detached prosthetic in his boyfriend’s face once more with a mirthful grin. _“Hand_ it to me?”

“...oh my GOD I hate you the most.”

Still, he took a moment to pull Arthur closer into a warm embrace, before an indignant shriek from Vivi announced the catastrophic impact of a pillow flung at high velocity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme of this chapter is "Vivi likes to be included and has killed a man during a pillow fight before"


	10. Type Zero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **answrs on Chapter 6 Thu 09 Jun 2016 05:35PM EDT**
> 
>  
> 
> **yesssss unapologetic cuddle fluff is best fluff : >**
> 
>  
> 
> **uhh, hmm. if you ever wanted to try arthur having his own time to shine on a case (saving the others, solving the mystery, facing down the monster/villain if the day, whatever you can think of)? poor lil daphne-syndrome bean needs some sort of hero time. :p**
> 
>  
> 
> I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG I WORKED SO MUCH DURING THE ABSENCE AND NEEDED TO REST ;n; starting work on all the backlogged requests tho expect (hopefully) some frequent updates the next few days
> 
> I knew where I was taking this the moment I got the prompt lmao

Lewis sucked a useless breath in between his gritted teeth, clutching his anchor in a panic as its erratic beating expanded and contracted the spiderweb of cracks along the surface. Vivi clutched at his other arm in concern, ignoring the approaching spirit to stare up at him with her big, wet eyes. In front of the pair, Mystery snarled, tails flicking as they fanned out to put a moving obstacle between the kids and the cackling girl in the stained kimono.

“You two need to run! She’s too powerful!”

Vivi glared at the kitsune, ready to read him the riot act, but Lewis beat her to it. “She’s a _boss ghost,_ Mystery, in your physical form you can hardly touch her! Get Vivi out of here, let me-”

A little hand came up and snapped his jaw closed mid-sentence, the bluenette by his side staring up at him through furious tears. “Both of you _shut up!_ I am _not_ going anywhere, you are _not_ fighting over who gets to play heroic sacrifice, and-”

“LEWIS, _HIT THE FLOOR!”_

In a split second, the world had slowed, turning at a quarter pace. Lewis barely had time to notice the mad ghost, hands stopped just shy of Mystery’s snout, turn to look at the intruder. Before he could process anything, Vivi grabbed him by the lapels, pulling him down to the floor with her. As he fell, he could just make out the glint of a glass lens in the darkness of the hall.

_Ding-ding-ding~!_

_Click- **FWOOSH~!** _

The afterimage of the camera flash faded just in time to catch the shrieking ghost’s final flails, and as she faded out, the night was once again preternaturally quiet. Vivi squirmed under Lewis’s arm, and he scrambled off of her, both of them and Mystery gaping at the panting orange figure stepping out of the darkness. Arthur glared at the spot on the floor where the screaming twin had menaced his friends, then raised his head to look at them, furious expression melting into a relieved deadpan.

“This...vacation...sucks-”

In a second, the rescued trio had sprung up off the floor and into his mismatched arms, and he shrieked with shocked laughter as he fell backwards under the weight of the sudden affection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [12:59:57 AM] Chip Skylark: oH MY GOD _YOU WOULD_  
>  [1:00:08 AM] Chip Skylark: _AND I LOVE IT_  
>  [1:00:47 AM] Chip Skylark: BEST CROSSOVER IMYELLIGN  
> [1:01:23 AM | Edited 1:01:41 AM] Chip Skylark: 1000/1000 WOULD BANG A HOT GHOST TOL
> 
> -jay when they realized i just did an MSA/Fatal Frame crossover lmao im such a slut for fatal frame


	11. Expertise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Spatchi (4rtisfl33ting) on Chapter 6Fri 10 Jun 2016 01:46AM EDT**
> 
> **Could you maybe do a prompt with Arthur having some super awesome hidden talent and the rest of the gang finds out? Bonus points if it's something most people would call "girly" and he gets all flustered about it (*^▽^*)  
>  (Love how you fill these prompts btw- good job!)**
> 
> WOOHOO TWO PROMPTS IN ONE NIGHT aaaaaand this is sorta a prequel to the last prompt bc I'm not kidding Fatal Frame is godly and the crossover potential is real ALSO UR A SWEETIE THANK U ;u;

The transparent woman slid through the closed door, and Vivi swore so violently the boys both flinched. Lewis glided over the sunken fireplace, reaching for the sliding door and yelping as he drew his hand back. In the back of his eye sockets, his violet irises rolled, and he turned to the rest of the group. “It’s sealed with some sort of powerful energy. We need to find the source to remove it.”

Vivi hopped up onto the raised floor of the room, following the glowing blue filament in the camera to stand before the offending spot. She inhaled deeply, raised the camera, and-

Click.

Nothing happened.

“SON OF A _BITCH!”_

Vivi stomped her feet, ready to have an absolute fit, and Arthur gently took the camera out of her hands before she could toss it to the floor. “How are we sucking this bad?”

Lewis shrank back, rubbing a bony hand along his arm with the best air of sheepishness he could manage without a proper face. “It’s an old camera, I guess? I mean, we’ve only ever used our phones-”

_Click~!_

The pair turned to look at the door in surprise, as a mass of blue incorporeal faces wavered like a mirage on hot pavement. The camera spat out a little square, and Arthur gingerly pinched the film between two fingers, waiting patiently for the image to appear instead of frantically flapping it (like Vivi had done with the photo of the woman blocking the door earlier; lord he loved his boyfriend and girlfriend, but _bless their hearts-)._

“Correction: _you two_ have only ever used your phones.”

Vivi scurried over to peek down at the photo, gaping at the crystal-clear (if aged) image of a familiar coal brazier. “How-?!”

Arthur shrugged, grinning. “You have to adjust the f-stop and shutter speeds, or else everything’s just a blurry, poorly lit mess-”

Lewis crossed his arms, raising one brow. “And you know this _how?”_

Arthur was now suddenly aware that his friends were both staring at him, and down by the front door, Mystery shot him a knowing smirk. The mechanic chuckled nervously, fidgeting with the camera controls and turning to head for the back. “Come on, guys, we have to get to the coal room to find the source; that might be where the ginger key is-”

“The _what_ key?”

Arthur gestured upstairs. “The key for the lock? The one with a ginger pattern?”

For the second time in as many minutes, the other two were surprised by the blond’s obscure knowledge. “How do you get ginger from that pattern?”

“Have neither of you seen ginger flowers before?”

“Have _you?”_

Oh boy. Arthur cleared his throat, metal fingers tapping an awkward rhythm on the camera’s casing, and Vivi held up a hand to signal a timeout. 

Proper old camera adjustment. Experience with SLR photography. Innate knowledge of obscure flowers.

Could they possibly...be related?

Lewis seemed to come to the same realization at the exact same time as she did, and while she chuckled, he quirked his skull in his closest imitation of a smile. “Arthur…”

“Haha whoops think I hear a ghost coming better hurry up-”

“Arthur, have you been hiding a lil hobby of sorts from us?”

The blond nearly tripped down the step to the lowered hallway, disappearing down the corner with a forced laugh. “Haaaaaaaa can’t hear you buddy can you repea-”

“Wait a second, IS _THIS_ WHY YOU ASK ME TO PULL OVER WHEN YOU SEE WILDFLOWERS ALONG THE HIGHWAY? I THOUGHT YOU JUST NEEDED BATHROOM BREAKS!”

Arthur scurried down the hall, camera tucked against his chest as he blushed furiously, and Vivi cackled with delight in the front room. “ARTHUR THIS IS THE _CUTEST THING_ I SWEAR WHEN WE GET OUT OF HERE I’M GONNA NEED TO SEE YOUR PORTFOLIOS I MEAN IT-”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my community college electives was Photo 1 and I swear to god I love my old Yashica more than some relatives I need to find my bb I haven't seen him since the move ;n;
> 
> Shoutout to Jay for suggesting he enjoy taking pics of flowers specifically bc they didn't know Texas is FLIPPING SWARMING with wildflowers what a blessing this is my new fave headcanon


	12. Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Lewanei on Chapter 7 Sun 12 Jun 2016 06:50AM EDT**
> 
>  
> 
> **A cult case (poor Artie) with fluff after maybe?**
> 
>  
> 
> tHIS STARTED OUT SO FUNNY AND THEN VEERED INTO ME BEING GAY FOR TLC AND AFFECTION AHHHHH ;A;

“Huh. You had a ghost circle prepared. Did… _not_ expect you to have that.”

The cocky boredom was leaking out of Arthur’s voice, and he rolled his eyes back to watch Lewis struggle against the invisible bonds that held him. Under his (cheap, flimsy, obviously-party-city-branded) hood, the cultist snorted with an obnoxious giggle. “And you said I was unprepared! Now I’ve got all four of you captured, and all by myself!”

Mystery snarled (still in his tiny dog guise, which was...much less threatening than he would’ve hoped) from inside the talisman-lined kennel, Vivi furiously tugged at the chains holding her against the wall, and if Lewis’s gaze could burn as hot as his hair, they’d be roasting s'mores over the lone cultists in seconds. The ghost tested the circle once more, growling. “This is a temporary spell, you little freak, I give it thirty more seconds at the _most-”_

The hooded figure’s nasally laughs cut him off, and the scrawny assailant idly polished the silver dagger in his hand with the edge of one sleeve. “Right, right...too bad this _little lamb_ will be dead in fifteen.”

Arthur gulped, trying his hardest to force his immobilized limbs to push off the cold slab. Nothing. For all he mocked the novice’s inability to cast a spell that could fully paralyze him, mouth included, he was well and truly stuck. Even his metal arm, stuck through with a sword and shooting little sparks as it twitched, was helpless. The sticky runes drawn over his bare chest, swirling and slashing little patterns up to and around his furiously thumping heart, glowed faintly in the flickering candle light.

The cultist snickered, rattling off a few last words in poorly-pronounced but passable archaic, and the dagger hovered just above the mechanic’s heart. Such a familiar scene, but this time…

There was no last second rescue.

The knife sunk, Arthur sucked in a rattling gasp, and the mingled screams of a girl, a ghost, and a disguised kitsune drowned under the hearty cackles of the victorious worshiper. 

He’d won!

His master’s return was nigh!

He...nothing was happening.

The cultist glanced down, flinching at the highly amused smirk playing across the blond’s face. Confused, he picked up the dagger, his exaggerated double-take at the bent blade clear despite the obscured visage. From various corners of the room, his other three prisoners struggled to hold in their laughter, and Arthur managed to very slightly shake his head. “Armor spell, kiddo. I told you, _this is nothing new.”_  
The rest of the gang finally lost it, leaning back into restraints and heaving as they ridiculed the failed ritual. The cultist fumed, tossed the dagger to the floor, and reached over the laughing sacrifice. Arthur’s hysterics abruptly cut off with a yelp as the hooded figure violently wrenched the sword out of his metal arm, raising it high above the mechanic’s face.

“Oh, very cute. But tell me, _does it extend to your face?”_

Arthur paled, squeaking out his answer softly. “N-no, didn’t think of that one…”

The cultist barked out a short laugh, and swung the sword down, and Arthur blacked out from terror just before a flash of pink caught the blade, half an inch from his forehead. 

Lewis bent the sword (and its wielder’s arm) back harshly, burning eyes glaring out from the darkness in his sockets as he wrenched the weapon away. He didn’t even look away as he snapped his fingers, setting the talismans alight, nor when the now-ordinary kennel exploded in a burst of flared tails. The sound of chains ripping clean out of the wall was all he needed to hear to know Vivi would be on the cultist in all of two seconds, and Lewis forced his humanoid guise to make sure his smirk was the last thing the bastard would see for a long time.

_“Your thirty seconds are up, jackass.”_

~*~

The soft bundle dragged across his stomach was damp and cold, and for half a moment, Arthur’s muddled consciousness flashed a thousand warnings. The boy jolted, automatically lurching up off the ground before his eyes could open and focus, mouth opening and closing in shouts of panic that his throat couldn’t conjure. A large, warm hand lightly rested on his shoulder, and he melted into the familiarity of the touch, panic dropping away like snow off a rooftop.

“It’s alright, Artie, just washing off the runes.”

The exhausted blond blinked, the blurry pink-framed face in front of him slowly fading into clarity. Lewis’s eyes twinkled with affection, and the gentle smile flitting across his face was the kindest expression Arthur had ever seen. If he wasn’t so damn tired, he’d probably lean in to try and steal a “thank you for saving me from a(nother) cult” kiss. Instead, he nodded sleepily, only jumping a little when two tiny hands reached up from under his arms and around his chest.

Vivi pulled Arthur back down, bringing the back of his head back to rest on her lap while she idly ran her fingers through his messy hair. She leaned over him, the end of her scarf lightly brushing his cheek, and he shot up a weak smile in response to her’s. She sighed. “You were so brave today, Artie, I’ve never seen you taunt someone like that.”

Arthur chuckled weakly, settling back and enjoying the TLC his lovers were giving him. “Heh. You say that after I pass out like a little baby-”

The warm weight on his legs shifted, and he craned his neck just a bit to catch Mystery’s quirked brow. “She’s right, Arthur. You kept him distracted just long enough for Lewis to break free. A flawless performance on your part; what happened after is on me for not extending the armor spell-”

The mechanic shakily lifted his good arm, gently flopping it over to the not-dog and waiting for him to meet him halfway. The animal stopped mid-apology, crouching down to force his cool nose under the boy’s fingers and accepting the weak scratches to the bridge of his snout. Lewis smiled, running the cool cloth across his boyfriend’s chest, pale and thin and dotted in tiny nicks and scars. “None of that, Mystery. We did good today. We made it out. Let’s just appreciate that for awhile.”

Arthur nodded sleepily, nuzzling his cheek into the soft fabric of Vivi’s skirt and slurring out a thank you. Little fingers curled comfortingly in his tangled hair, and the same warm hand as before, chilled slightly from handling the rag, came up to cup his feverish cheek. Lewis’s voice was soft, quiet as a breath a scant few feet away, and dripping with affection and relief.

“Get some rest, Artie.”

He was asleep before the words left Lewis’s conjured lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man Arthur gets kidnapped by a cult every third Tuesday of the month this is nothing new (but he will accept the excuse to be pampered and snuggled)


	13. Errands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **writeswithfeatherquills on Chapter 8 Mon 13 Jun 2016 11:11PM EDT**
> 
> **Grocery store antics with ghost Lewis PLEASE**
> 
> THIS IS REALLY SHORT AND PROBABLY NOT AS GOOD AS MY OTHER STUFF IT'S BEEN AWHILE GOMEN ;~;

The cart shook as Arthur tossed down the box excitedly, and Vivi cocked an eyebrow. The blond hopped up and down like a kid at a birthday party, furiously gesturing her to look down at his find. She rolled her eyes, but relented, before clamping a hand over her mouth to keep from losing it. “Are those ghost-shaped cookie cutters? Are you SERIOUS?”

Arthur stamped his feet giddily. “They were way in the bottom of the clearance bin, they’ve probably been there since Halloween. I thought you’d like them-”

Lewis leaned out from the next aisle, lowering his shades to peer at the discounted goods with dark eyes. He chuckled in disbelief, shooting a look at Arthur. “Are you kidding me man?”

“Says the dude holding ten boxes of flippin’ Boo Berry!”

The disguised ghost protectively clung to his cereal, sticking out his tongue. “Hey, they’re on clearance!”

Vivi rested her head on the handlebar of the cart, not sure whether bringing the two boys along on the trip was the best or worst idea. “Wasn’t this trip SUPPOSED to be for supplies?”

Arthur huffed. “Well...maybe we’d perform less dangerous exorcisms if we bribed the ghosts with cookies!”

Lewis snickered, nodding. “Ghosts will behave in exchange for cookies, can confirm-”

Vivi leaned her cheek on her first, pursing her lips, and the boys immediately shut up, stifling giggles. “If you two want to go be useless somewhere else, go ahead, and I’ll meet you by the gumball machines. NO SHENANIGANS.”

The boys deposited their few items into the cart, save the basket of assorted peppers on Lewis’s arm, and they ran off for self check, looking forward to confusing the attendant with the taller man’s encyclopedic knowledge of obscure produce codes. Vivi sighed, glancing over at the giggling duo of mothers down the aisle. She shrugged and her head in the direction her boyfriends had vanished, standing on her tiptoes to reach a box of votive candles. 

“Boys, am I right?”

The older women yelped, both hauling out of the area so fast their carts left skids on the linoleum, and Vivi looked up, confused. Atop the shelf, a chattering deadbeat pushed the box into reach, tilting its head sweetly. Vivi sighed, accepting the help. “I can’t take any of you anywhere.”

The deadbeat cooed sadly, and Vivi gently patted it’s little head in apology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She's gonna get done checking out and find out they had Lewis phase through the claw machine to get all the plushies and are distributing them like a bunch of manchild Robin Hoods (they saved the plushie heart for her tho so she forgives their shenanigans)

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any suggestions or additional prompts feel free to share in the comments or ask over at shobijinsandy on tumblr.


End file.
